Counterfeit Cupid (Mt. Olympus Employment Agency: Cupid #2)(20)

Two people stood on opposite sides of a cockatoo cage, trying to get the bird to talk.

“Hello, pretty bird,” the lady said. “Hello! Hello!”

Not to be outdone, the man let out a wolf whistle and cooed. “Pretty boy. Pretty boy!”

I darted them both. The cockatoo tilted his head and eyed me, making me wonder if animals could see me.

After a ten count, the humans ignored the bird and wandered toward the fish tanks, grinning at each other. Satisfied, I returned to the sidewalk to look for my next…what did they call them? Patients? Customers? Targets?

I checked the time. I’d been at it for a couple of hours. It was probably time for me to check the firehouse to see if Richard had gone in yet. He was technically off for the next few days, but Val had said he was supposed to go in for a meeting. One more reason for my irrational sister to be upset with her perfectly wonderful husband.

As I turned toward the firehouse, I thought I caught a glimpse of Josh staring out the window from the coffee house across the street.

“Get a grip, girl. He wasn’t in the music store. He’s not watching from the coffee house.” The idea that Josh might be somewhere nearby gave me both a guilty chill and nervous butterflies. He wasn’t my type. Guys like that were not true love material. I had to stop thinking about him like that. Especially since I was currently running around with stuff I stole from him.

That wouldn’t exactly be a great place to start a relationship. A twinge of regret poked my gut. Maybe I was seeing him everywhere because I felt guilty for stealing from him.

I stood on the sidewalk arguing with myself until my feet moved on their own. Apparently, while my mind was still undecided, my body was heading for the coffee house to be certain Josh wasn’t in there.

The smell of coffee, warm and inviting, enveloped me the moment I opened the door. My stomach grumbled, reminding me how little I’d eaten today. Nothing I could do about it right then, though. I was invisible. I could stand in line all day, but nobody was going to wait on me unless they could see me.

I glanced around the tiny space. As I’d expected, Josh was not there. I was seeing him everywhere, but he wasn’t there. Great. Now I was losing my mind, too.

I darted across the street, avoiding cars that couldn’t see me, and entered the firehouse through their open garage. I knew in my heart that Richard wasn’t having an affair. He was a good guy working ridiculous hours, and he loved my sister with all his heart. But I wanted to see him interact with his coworkers with my own eyes. The people who worked at the firehouse were a family. If anything was going on, they’d know about it.

I’d spent too much time chasing after a non-existent Josh and had missed the meeting. People were already heading out to their cars, while others settled into the rec room to watch television. A big guy with a mustache broke off and headed into the kitchen while humming.

Two women and a man started a game of pool. I watched for a moment, wondering which woman to match up with the guy, when I realized the women were more interested in each other. I almost darted them both, until I noticed one wore a wedding ring, but the other didn’t.

Maybe they were married to each other and only one of them wore a ring. Or maybe I was misreading the entire situation. Josh had said I’d made some bad matches. Maybe I needed to tone it down a bit and pay closer attention.

I left them alone and moved into the dining room.

Richard sat with a cupcake in front of him on a plate, pushing the crumbs around with his fingertip.

Across the table, a tall guy with gray eyes and a shaved head watched the destruction of the cupcake. “You going to eat that, or desecrate one of Sky’s greatest creations?”

Richard shook his head and pushed the plate toward the other man. “Sorry, Gideon. I guess I’m not hungry.”

Gideon bit off half the small chocolate cake, chewed a few times, then swallowed. “What’s going on? You look like your dog died.” He shoved the rest of the cupcake into his mouth, then swallowed, barely chewing, his eyes wide. “Oh, man, Maggie’s okay, isn’t she? I didn’t mean to…”

Richard chuckled, though it didn’t change the weary expression on his face. “No, Maggie’s fine. She just had her yearly vet appointment. She’s good.”

Gideon let out a sigh of relief, then glanced at the empty cupcake paper with regret. “So, what’s wrong? Is Val okay?” He watched Richard’s face and flinched. “Ah. It’s Val. So, what happened?”

Richard threw his hands in the air. “That’s just it. I don’t know what happened. She’s being so weird. So emotional.” He ran his fingers through his hair, leaving pieces of it standing on end. “She thinks I’m having an affair.”

Gideon burst out laughing. “You’re kidding.”

“No. I’m not kidding.”

“Dude, that’s ridiculous.” He sat for a moment, staring out the window. “Weird question, but when was her last period?”

“Oh, God, don’t even think about telling her it’s PMS. Haven’t you ever had a girlfriend? Or a sister?”

“I’m not asking as a bro. I’m asking as a registered nurse. Have you considered maybe your wife is pregnant?”

I gasped. Pregnant? I knew she was hormonal! That had to be the answer! My sister was going to have a baby. It felt right. I knew it was right.